


Nicole Knight

by cmtretyak



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Feminism, Gen, Harry Potter - Freeform, Harry Potter Next Generation, Harry Potter OC - Freeform, Malfoy, Malfoy Family, Original Character(s), Purebloods, Wizarding Wars, Wizarding World, voldemort - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-25 00:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12024618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmtretyak/pseuds/cmtretyak
Summary: This is the detailed backstory of my Harry Potter OC, Nicole. This is also me expanding on the cruelties of Death Eaters, and the idea of wandless magic.I made her a playlist of songs that remind me of her: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjStVJ9DtStRu_PnhmM-qJJR9SyFhsAth





	1. Birth-- Takeover

The Knight family was once a greatly respected pureblood clan. They were traditional and haughty, proud and determined. Violent and hot headed. They molded some of the best foot soldiers of the day during their peak in the wizarding wars. Knights were well trained, aggressive, feared practically nothing, and had an agenda to fill. They were willing to die for it. Kill for it. Or even worse.  
Sons were soldiers, daughters were to make more sons and act as back up soldiers. They fought and died for the cause of wizard (pureblood) supremacy. In a duel, a Knight was ruthless. They shouldered their blood stained legacy with pride, and take charge of battles. They believed violence was often the only answer. They weren’t like some of their other traditional wealthy counterparts, such as the Emersons and Malfoys, who were classy, subtle and dangerous. The Knights were anything but subtle, equally as dangerous, and possessed explosive tempers. 

Because of this and their steadfast beliefs, it was nearly impossible to leave the family. The only way a Knight who wanted out of the bloodshed and violence was to kill the current head of the family by besting them in a duel. It was a huge deal when someone tried to leave or take over. A grand spectacle and ordeal. Nicole Knight often remembered seeing cousins she barely knew from families all over the place gathering to see someone challenge her father’s authority or try to get away. Everyone had to watch. If you were weak and looked away, you were punished too. Weakness was not tolerated. 

Nicole was 6 when she saw her father kill someone with her own eyes for the first time. She was familiar with the violence of his hand and the pain that came from his wand. Her own developing magic became defensive, and the more she fought with her cousins, the more offensive it became. But being so young, she was nothing like her father. Not yet. Her cousin Joseph made a mistake- he fell in love with a muggle woman. Such relationships were forbidden. Muggles were animals, mudbloods were unworthy. But he didn’t care. Joseph was in love, and he’d do anything for this woman. So he challenged Nathaniel for his freedom. For the love of this woman. The woman was there that day. She watched, her head held high, tears in her eyes and a brave look on her face. There to support the man she loved despite the fear, the hate, and the violence. As a child, she didn’t know, but the woman’s belly protruded slightly. They weren’t just in love, she was carrying their child.  
The duel itself felt like it went on for years. Nicole can remember watching it happen in slow motion. Screamed curses, paranoia, and insane determination. Blood, spit, sweat, screaming, sobbing, insults, more curses, a hex or two, Joseph’s screams of pain and his ferocious determination. She can remember gasping in shock when Joe landed a hit on her father. She thought it was over, but he was only bleeding, not dead. That was the moment it all slowed down. When Nathaniel killed his nephew Joe, Nicole met his eyes and she watched the light fade and the thud of his lifeless body that was her older cousin hit the ground and she felt it echo through her entire body. He was dead. Cheers erupted. The traitor was put down. Nicole was shocked. And scared. She was no stranger to violence… but death…in that moment, she suddenly remembered that the woman was there. She looked around frantically trying to find her, and saw her. The woman screamed and sobbed at the top of her lungs. She cursed and begged and pleaded as two of Nicole’s uncles dragged her away. She was never seen again. Nicole didn’t even know her name. 

Nicole’s mother died shortly after she was born. Throughout her childhood, she had a few step-mothers to worry about in addition to her father. When she was 7, Nathaniel married a woman named Antoinette Jean Beaufort. She was the daughter of a French count. She came from old money and old values. The perfect woman. The one good thing Nicole learned from her was French. Antoinette was a ruthless and cruel as her father. Too often Nicole’s face met the back of her hand or the dangerous end of her wand. So Nicole kept her mouth shut. Antoinette taught her how to be a lady- quiet, respectful, speaking when spoken to, taking the shit and doing harm, and of course, proper manners. Antoinette didn’t tolerate slip-ups or mistakes. She had to get it right the first time. This bred a kind of determination mixed with self-hatred in Nicole. She kept up with her lessons out of pure spite and hatred. 

Shortly before she started Hogwarts, Antoinette seemed to be very sick. Listening in on the house elves gossip, she learned that Antoinette was going to have a baby, but she lost the baby. She had a ‘miscarriage’. Nicole wasn’t sure what that was, but it involved making her father angry and Antoinette bleeding more than normally because of him, so she stayed away from that noise. She knew that asking questions wouldn’t keep her alive. 

September came and she was off to Hogwarts to fill a legacy. Upon sorting, the hat nearly put her in Ravenclaw, but decided Slytherin fit her better. It gave her a tip- stay smart to stay alive. It was a good tip. Despite the legacy she shouldered, she was the happiest she’d ever been. She was away from her family and for the first time, she was making friends. A few weeks in, she got a letter saying her step-mother had died. But Nicole was so happy she didn’t care.  
Despite being a girl, Nicole wasn’t exempt from being trained to be a soldier. She worked hard, she fought hard, and shockingly, her father praised her on how powerful and ruthless she was. It made her happy to be praised by him, but at the same time, she felt sick. She didn’t want to be like him, but being like him and putting her cousins in the hospital after duels was keeping her alive. This was a tactic she held on to no matter what. She had to. Her father made it very clear that her only use would be to bear sons to fight for the cause and to bear daughters to bear more sons. And that once he had a son, she was disposable. She knew that. But she inherited that hot headed, blind determination along with her brain. She wouldn’t go down. She couldn’t.  
When Nicole was 14, her father took another wife- Elizabeth Victoria Maedwill. Her maiden name was pronounced ‘made will’, but privately, Nicole always pronounced it “mad will”. Elizabeth was… quite mad. She was unbalanced, aggressive, unstable, and violent behind closed doors. A shining example of the ideal pureblood woman. She took charge of Nicole’s manners and studies as the matriarch of the house. She was more aggressive than Antoinette. It wasn’t common for Nicole to leave late night studies bleeding, bruised and barely able to walk. But still she persisted. Stay alive. Go with the flow. What could she possibly have to fight for? She was their obedient daughter.  
Nicole was oddly grateful that their marriage didn’t last long. Only about a year and a half. They were trying to conceive, but couldn’t. A rare trip to the hospital revealed that Elizabeth was infertile. Too much inbreeding in her family, apparently. Before Nicole left for her fifth year of school, Elizabeth quietly disappeared during a family gathering when her uncle tried to challenge her father’s authority. Her uncle was killed, and Elizabeth vanished too. Nicole was unbothered by it this time. Elizabeth should have considered her fertility before marrying her father, who needed a son. It was her own fault. 

After another failed marriage and Nicole quickly coming of age, Nathaniel started to focus on his daughter and consider suitors for her. Nicole didn’t have much preference, as long has he was at least pleasant to talk to and didn’t beat her too often. She had never really considered romantic love to be an important factor. That is.. Until her fifth year. 

She met a boy named Luke. He was also a slytherin, and she knew that he existed, but they had never really talked. One night as she entered the common room after leaving the library, she spotted him quietly nursing a wound in the corner. His pain felt familiar. The only thing she really knew about him was that his father was a blood traitor and Luke therefore a mudblood. Untouchable. But….. He did have such pretty eyes. It was hard to break the occasional eye contact with him. And… no one would know she was nice to him. They were alone and her father was nowhere in sight. So she approached him and helped him heal up. And they started talking. And talking. And talking. All night. For the next several days, to weeks to months. They were friends, but this was different. He made her happier than her other friends. A different kind of happy. He made her feel beautiful and wanted. She didn’t’ feel like a piece of meat to him. She felt like a person. She felt beautiful and special. She felt something more intense than she’d felt before. She had always been so careful to keep her walls up, even around the cousins she was close with, but it was so effortless for Luke to ease into her heart and start to take them down. It was blissful and sweet and warm. It was amazing. It was connection. It was mutual understanding. Luke didn’t have a good home life either. They shared one another’s pain, and reveled in one another’s joy. It was so human. Nicole cherished every second of it.  
But of course, it didn’t go perfectly for too long. They started to date, and did their best to keep it secret, but it was hard with how much they saw one another. Being a girl of reputation, sometimes it was hard for Nicole to avoid trouble, but often it was her rep that kept her out of it. But the same couldn’t be said for her boyfriend when rumors of their relationship spread. Enter Camden Emerson. From a bloodstained legacy himself and secretly shagging her cousin Thomas, Camden wanted to prove himself by fighting a Knight and winning, but he didn’t dare take on Nicole, so instead she found herself shooting daggers at him in class when he picked on her boyfriend when she wasn’t around. Lucky for him he was fast, devious, and smooching her cousin, which kept him away from Nicole’s wrath. But… this will come into play more later. 

When Nathaniel found out his daughter was being stained by a mudblood, he was furious. Nicole had never seen him so angry and dangerous. She took her punishment, but it was different this time. She was…. Angrier than she had ever been. She wanted to fight back. But she knew now wasn’t the time. If she reacted too strongly, he might kill Luke. Or worse. So she took it but the fire inside her only grew. After that, it was both scary and comforting to return to school and collapse in Luke’s arms. He was the only person she every felt comfortable crying in front of. And seeing him, scruffy, stubborn and a bit beat up himself as he snuck into her dorm… she couldn’t bare the thought of losing him. And she cried. And that was okay. She could protect Luke and she’d fight for him; even if fighting for him meant not fighting at all. 

In her sixth year, she still dated Luke despite her father’s orders. Nathaniel grew more furious as time went on. Her punishments got harsher. But she didn’t care. She found a person that was worth fighting for. Someone who gave her motivation to do more than just survive, but to live. That was when her father brought a suitor into play. The day she met that fucker was a day she’d never forget. She and Luke were down by the lake, cuddling and chatting with a few friends when he approached. He was older than her. Maybe early twenties. Hulking, huge, he came out of nowhere and yanked her to her feet, shouting right away and shaking her aggressively. This was a show. She knew it. He wanted to break her and make her submit. As he did this, she pooled magic in her palms, ready to fuck him up and defend herself and her man, but she fell to the ground before she could. He let her go because Luke lunged at him, fists flying, shouting furiously, shooting spells and… defending her. Luke was… fighting for her. Fighting a fight he knew damn well he wouldn’t win, but he was doing it anyway. She remembered feeling her throat get tight, but she didn’t let herself cry. Merlin, she loved this boy, and he loved her too. She was worth defending. She didn’t have to do it all alone. That meant more than words could say. And hell, somehow her scrappy man pulled through. He beat the guy into oblivion. He wasn’t exactly unscathed, in fact he was pretty messed up, but she couldn’t stop kissing him. This was determination. This was loyalty. This was… love. 

Eventually as war came into full swing, things went to hell again and the fire inside Nicole burned brighter and deeper. As the battle of Hogwarts hit, her fury got closer to climax. Now, she’ll say it’s a bit blurry, but she remembers it quite clearly. Tearing through the castle at full speed with Luke, Colton, and Artemis at her side, everything was chaos. Screaming, sobbing, spells, blood, the whole shebang. Those three were interpretable, and she was close with all of them. But… this had to end. She didn’t want the people she cared about to get hurt- any of them. She was going to /do/ something. But her friends had similar ideas. Her gut told her they’d be safer together, but… she didn’t want them to know she was her father’s daughter. In the chaos, she slipped away. Under the staircase on the third floor, she pulled her supplies out. A red cloak, a mask, potions, and a few of Colton’s homemade bombs that she slipped away. 

She tied her hair back and suited up, and dove into the fray. The details are sharp but blurred. She remembers which of her cousins and other death eaters were killed because of her or by her, but she moved so fast and with such skill, how they died is a blur. She helped clear out the entire floor, and decided that was enough. She dropped her gear and rushed back to her friends, deciding that she would pretend to have been separated. As she dashed to where she last saw them, she heard a familiar cry of anguish. She whipped around and saw Camden Emerson, collapsed and broken over the body of her cousin Thomas. She froze in place and clapped a hand over her mouth. Tears she couldn’t control poured from her eyes. She shook slightly. She had to keep going. Thomas was gone, and so was Camden, if only metaphorically. She started to run again, but her feet dragged. They weighed on her like lead and she had to stop at some point to catch her breath and not choke on her own tears. She had considered Thomas a friend. Her lip trembled and she glanced around the hall she was in. She let out a squeak when she saw other familiar faces. Heather and Aspen. No. no not them too. She couldn’t look. She barely recognized them. She started to shake again. The fire inside her burned and she screamed. It was a loud, anguished sound. She held it for several seconds until she couldn’t breathe. She collapsed against the wall. They didn’t deserve this. All these people dead, these hearts bleeding, these families broken and for WHAT?! She puked. Suddenly the weight of everything- who she was, who she could be, where she came from and what she had done that night hit her. She was one of the bad guys. Motive doesn’t excuse murder. She puked again. It ends. It has to end. These people deserve freedom. They deserve love. They deserve second chances. She sobbed openly for several minutes as the weight of her heart suffocated her and the world crumbled around her.  
Eventually, she caught her breath and the fire in her soul made her scream again. She ripped herself off of the ground and sped through the castle. She couldn’t save everyone, but she could try to get them out alive. Find them first, then get out. She flashed back to her training. Her father told her that the best moment to strike an opponent was when they were weak and expected nothing from you. That was when you go for the kill. A bitter tasted flooded her mouth as she ran, remembering those words. But he was right. Now was not the time. She practically flew up the stairs to where she last saw Luke, Colton and Artemis. 

She heard all too familiar voices screaming and the blood drained from her face. She ran up on them and didn’t expect what she saw. Luke was bruised, bloodied and battered, glass shards crudely sticking from his body as he sobbed beside Colton. Colton was lying in a pool of his own blood, face down. His entire back was ripped open. Clean open. Nerve and muscle exposed. But he was alive and weakly talked Luke through how to patch him up. She was frozen as Luke healed their friend with shaking hands. She barely looked away from them as she casually blasted an approaching death eater away from them. Suddenly it hit her- where was Artemis? She couldn’t be far. Just as Nicole wondered this, Artie’s screams pierced her ears she whipped around, and saw a weak, bloody Colton screaming her name and trying to move as Luke bolted in the direction of the other girl. Watching strange men with their hands on her friend forced Nicole to move again and she took off after Luke. He fought them, and before she could join, they caught them off guard with an explosion, sending both of them flying. And Artemis was gone. Colton was dying. Luke was unconscious. She failed.  
Nicole doesn’t remember numbly scooping up Luke and lying beside a dying Colton with him. She doesn’t remember the aurors bursting through and taking them to hospital. She doesn’t remember her father beating her senseless. It’s all a blur. A numb, cold blur. 

She does remember packing a bag and fleeing the Knight mansion as law enforcement arrived. She remembers slipping potential leads about Artemis to the aurors Luke met. She remembers… slowly recovering. She remembers feeling free in the chaos. The ministry was tearing hers and other families apart. So she ran. So did others. She ran away with her friends. Despite the pain… they were going to be okay. She knew that in her heart of hearts.  
A few years passed and things were again going pretty well for a change. Her family was disorganized and in shambles trying to reorganize despite the ministry, and they lost a lot of people in the war and simply… couldn’t pull it off. Luke was in his auror training, and she made sure to build him up and ensure him he could do it because she was just so proud of him. She had always loved and admired his grit and determination and really truly believed in him. Colton was going to university for medicine, something they all knew he’d excel at, and seeking some physical therapy for his back. The miracle was that he wasn’t paralyzed. And… Artie was still missing. Officially, she was declared dead; a casualty of war. But… The remaining three- especially Colton. Never gave up hope. Not really. Luke seemed to always have a file about Artie somewhere in the house. 

The house. Luke and Nicole were living together and slowly but surely redecorating his parent’s house. It was the freest Nicole had felt in years. The most free she had felt ever, actually. One afternoon when they were painting, Nicole went back upstairs to get more tarp so they could finish and have some lunch and take a break. When she came back downstairs, Luke was in the center of the room on his knees with a ring in his hand. She froze and tears welled up in her eyes. This was it. This was what she thought she would never have. She barely heard his proposal as a teary grin split her face. Once she saw his lips stop moving, she tackled him and kissed him over and over again. Between kisses she heard him laughing, “is that a yes?” “Fuck yes it is, Luke Micheal”.  
They came down from the joy of their engagement rather quickly, and Luke and Nicole began planning a wedding. It was the happiest Nicole had been in a long time, but… something was weighing on her. Nathaniel. She had managed to slip away, along with others in the chaos, but she was his only child. He wouldn’t let her get away that easily. There were whispers of some families trying to re-organize. This frightened Nicole. She knew she had to do something or Nathaniel would find out eventually and come after them. About two weeks before their wedding, Nicole gave Luke a kiss goodbye and was excited to take her first muggle train to bring some old friends into town to be her bridesmaids. She sent out a few owls and made the necessary arrangements. They had been to rehearsals, dress fittings, all that- but a few of Nicole’s old friends were coming to stay with them in the few week up until the wedding. But she lied to Luke. Sort of. She was going to collect a few dear friends and spend some time with them before going into full swing wedding mode but… she had a stop to make first. 

Nicole was surprised to learn that a muggle train wasn’t that much different from the Hogwarts train she had come to know. It was slower, she felt, more crowded, but… she liked it. She had always enjoyed people watching. But she was tense. She had on her dark red cloak. That drew a few curious looks, but most people didn’t seem to care too much. Under the cloak, she wore a simple white dress and pumps. She smiled to herself slightly. She had always felt it was easier to blend in with muggles if you wore dresses and simple colors. She toyed with the large ruby around her neck. It was her mother’s once. And now it was hers. Someone new. The next generation. She straightened up as her stop came up. A new generation meant new rules on the playing field. It had to be done. 

She walked quietly through a small village. The sun was setting and the residents were slowly but surely starting to retire. She drew her wand under her cloak and tapped herself with it silently. She shimmered like a mirage and she disappeared and walked among them like a shadow. She stayed silent as she reached the edge of the town. She broke her own silence as she reached the winding road and took a deep breath. She followed it carefully and treated the well-worn path like an old friend. She didn’t slow as the path took an incline up a hill and through the trees. She kept her pace. After a few minutes, she spotted it. Her childhood hell hole; the Knight mansion.  
It was a massive monument to blood money made of brick and stone. The building itself was ancient- it dated back to well before the 11th century. The sides were covered in sinister vines that seemed to be trying and failing to choke the life out of the mighty building. Decorating the tops of the roof for higher areas was what from a distance one might think was a cross, but it was in fact a sword. Nicole couldn’t see it, but she knew the inscription that was carved into it; Dubitas tenentem gladium cruore maculatur nec. Never doubt he who holds the blood stained sword. Classy. 

She approached the huge doors, and didn’t bother to knock. She kicked them open with a mighty blow and found that her relatives had already gathered. Countless faces turned towards her as she did so, and a cold breeze blew behind her. Nathaniel stood in the center of them, waiting for her.

“And here I thought you would never show up” he chided, like she was late for dinner, “You know how I just relish any chance to put you in your place, Nicky” he cooed.  
Nicole didn’t answer. She dropped her hood and tied her hair into a knot on top of her head. She looked at him and her eyes shot ice cold daggers. Nathaniel seemed to take a step back.  
“Well make your declaration so I can end this, you filthy little traitor” he said, returning her glare. House elves shuffled around and shut the door behind her. She suppressed a shudder. House elves weren’t the only slaves her father owned.  
The fire in her soul burned and snarled. She found her voice.

“Nathaniel Edward Knight. You and our fore fathers have done unspeakable things. You are a killer, a liar, a rapist, and it is /you/ who is the traitor.” She paused and let that sink in as hushed whispers flowed through her relatives. “All of that comes to an end today. You will pay the ultimate price for everything our family has done.” She met her father’s eyes, “I, Nicole Jaqueline Knight challenge you for the right to rule!”  
“Challenge accepted,” Nathaniel shot back, “AVADA KADAVRA” he bellowed instantly.

Nicole’s breath caught in her throat as she spun out of the way. The hot, green light sped past her face. It was so fast, she couldn’t be sure what she heard, but she was positive the spell was screaming. She didn’t have time to catch her breath before Nathaniel was preparing to fire at her again. She reached in her cloak and drew her dagger and put her wand where the dagger once was. She wanted to be up close and personal. He fired an incantation she had never heard before as she slipped out of the way again. She ran at him and that shocked him. She grabbed his arm, “CRUCIO” she screamed.

A blast of energy exploded from her hand and instantly connected with her father’s arm. He screamed in agony and fell to his knees. Nicole felt a cruel gratification in his pain. They were the only ones in the house making any sound. Everyone else was silent. He let out a scream of fury “REDUCTO!” Nicole let out a scream of shock and pain as she flew across the room. She hit the wall and gasped in pain. “Get up. Get up, get up” she hissed at herself. She spit out a tooth and winced as she tried to stand. Bruised for sure, possibly broken ribs. Nathaniel smiled, “How about a taste of that yourself, hm? Crucio!”

Every second was agony. She screamed and twitched as knives poked and ripped at her skin, freezing cold and sizzling hot at the same time. She fell to her hands and knees, hair a mess, shaken and panting. She looked around as Nathaniel approached her slowly. She had to outsmart him. Think, think- She spotted the oil lamps on the wall and smiled. Idiots won’t upgrade to electricity. She raised a shaky arm and gripped her dagger for dear life. She aimed at her father and pretended to miss “R-reducto!” she cried weakly as the oil lamps on one side of the room shattered. Light went out and oil leaked on the floor. Perfect.

“You’re weak. Just like your mother was. I was glad to be rid of her- got a good price too.”

Nicole’s head shot up, “What did you say?” She demanded.

Nathaniel smiled, “I know you know about my girls. You really think your mother died? Of course not! She was like you- strong willed and stubborn as hell. I couldn’t have her giving you ideas.”

Nicole stood up slowly, “What… what are you saying?” She asked.

He smiled, “I didn’t kill her. I sold her into the sex trade.” Nicole paled and her stomach turned, “I’m not going to kill you, Nicky. I’m going to sell you too” As he said this, he raised his wand, “STU-“but Nicole was faster. She jumped up, and stabbed him in the side with her dagger. She gathered her will in the palm of her hand, and forced him back with magic. He screamed in agony as he stumbled backwards. He gasped in pain and Nicole wiped the dagger on her dress. He was standing in the oil. She smiled as he dropped to one knee and fell to the side, slipping and struggling to stand in the oil.

“I’m going to burn the heart out of you, father. INCENDIO!” She cried. The spell hit the oil and burst into flames. It quickly covered the floor, the walls and Nathaniel. He screamed in horror and fear as the flames licked his body.  
Magic oozed through Nicole’s palm and she lifted her burning father a few feet off the ground. She knew this wouldn’t kill him, but it felt good. She flung him against the wall, “Aguamenti” she said calmly. She put the flames out on his body as the other flames sizzled out. She held the water on him too long, and in seconds he was screaming and spluttering in pain. She dropped the spell and he fell to his knees. The fire had eaten the skin clean off his left arm and leg, and started to tear at his side. “Looks like I have your sense of humor, father dearest.” He laughed and lunged at her. Nicole fell back as he pinned her. He dealt blow after blow to her face and torso. He drew blood and at some point, she spit out a tooth. After a moment, they were both shaking, bleeding and out of breath. Nathaniel held his side where Nicole stabbed him and seemed to be in extreme pain from the burns. “You were foolish” he panted, “this nonsense… ends with you” he drew his wand and pointed it in her face, “no one wants a woman that rebels. You wouldn’t be worth much. Ava-“

Every instinct in her body fought back. Nicole freed her hands from under him. She grabbed his thighs, and screamed, “CRUCIO!” He howled and screamed in pain. He rolled off of her shaking. She pinned him this time and hit his wand out of his hand. She put her hands around his neck, “CRUCIO, CRUCIO, CRUCIOOO!!” Nicole screamed just as loud as her father’s pained cries. He tried to close his eyes, but Nicole took one hand and forced him to keep them open, “I want you to look me in the eyes while I repay you, father /dear/” she spat, “CRUCIO!” another choked scream of agony. She balled up her free hand into a fist.

“You!” punch, stinging hex, “Will!” punch, stinging hex, “pay!” punch, punch, punch. “CRUCIO” she screamed as her last punch made contact with his face. His breathing was strained and slow. He was dying. Nicole got up and slowly drew her wand and pointed it at him.

She was suddenly very aware of her relatives watching her. Nathaniel fought through the pain and slowly tried to stand. No. She would be the last Knight standing today. This had to be a statement. She looked at her discarded, blood stained dagger, “Accio!” she cried. It flew into her hand and it felt like home. She lunged at him. She dealt a light cut to his cheek and he gasped in shock and pain. She ripped his shirt open with the dagger. Her father coughed up blood. She looked up and she spoke, her voice hoarse and furious, but loud, “Let this be a message to all of you.”

She plunged the dagger down to the center of her father’s chest and he screamed in pain as blood seemed to seep from all angles. She slowly dragged the knife down and cut open his chest. His breathing was faster, panicked, and he couldn’t move. By some fucking miracle he was still alive. Nicole snarled and plunged her free hand into his chest cavity. Inside of him, it was wet, slippery, and hot. She didn’t care. Blood stained her white dress. Good. Send a message. Nicole will fuck you AND her clothes up because she’s a bad bitch. She laughed to herself, unaware of the shockwaves of fear and admiration she sent through her relatives. She felt around as her father gasped and spluttered. She found what she wanted and smiled. She closed her hand around his still beating heart and will all her might, she ripped it from his chest.

That moment moved slower than all the others. Everything was slower, quieter, and blurry. She felt the weight of his heart in her hand. Slick and heavy. Maybe the Egyptians had something with that idea. She swore she felt the glands individually snap as she ripped it out. She met her father’s eyes as the organ was forcibly disconnected. She watched his eyes get snuffed out and with a final gasp, his head fell back, his eyes shut, and Nathaniel Knight was no more.

The slow silence surrounded Nicole for a moment. She looked at the heart in her hand as its last few weak pulses slipped out. She tightened her grip on it and she slowly stood up. She held it up like a trophy and the room erupted in cheers.


	2. The Cold Hard Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel Knight was an evil man. There is no description of it, but it's implied. Rape tw. Gore tw. Body horror tw.

She felt the blood from her father’s heart slowly trickle down her arm as her relatives whooped and hollered in a mixture of joy and shock. She made history today. She stood there dramatically for a few more seconds and lowered the heart. She raised her hand to call for silence. The moment she did, a pregnant hush fell over the room. She couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied with that on a personal and political level. This meant they recognized- and feared- her power and authority. This was a big deal. This whole thing was a risk because she was a woman and she had no idea if they would respect her if she won. But now she knew. She let the silence weigh heavily on them for a moment and then she smiled.

“My beloved family, Nathaniel’s reign of terror has come to an end. We need to face facts; the war is won and not by us. We lost. We were on the wrong side of history.” She started to walk slowly around the room, the heart in her hand at her side and clearly visible. “You see, my father never realized our true potential. But I do.” It seemed like every person in the room was holding their breath, waiting to see where their bold new leader would take them. She smiled again, “Many of you may think yourselves more experienced in life than I am, given that I’m only 23 and you may be much older. You’re wrong. No one in this room has known what it means to love. What it means to really be a family. I have known this, and I would sooner die-“she glanced at her father’s corpse, “-or kill rather than give that up.” She looked around the room at the sea of faces watching her, “You are my family too. I want you to know that kind of love. You need to know it to understand why I did what I did today. So from this day forth, the Knight Clan is no more. We no longer serve anyone! We no longer serve Voldemort-“a chill went down her spine as she said his name and whispers coursed throughout the room of shock and fear, “-nor Gridewald, nor any other so-called Dark Lord. As of today- this clan is strictly forbidden from participating in Dark Arts of any kind. Those who disobey this rule… will face dire consequences.” She gave the heart a squeeze and blood spirted out of it, which caused a few to recoil slightly. 

“Why?” a voice cut across the silence. She turned to face him. It was her cousin, Roman. He had always been a gentle soul and she knew how difficult this life had been on him. She considered him a friend. His eyes were weary, “Why did you do this, Nicky? You got away. Why come back?”

Nicole’s look softened slightly, “I did it for love.” She looked around at the curious and some furious faces, “Roman is right. I did get away. I could have hidden and never come back. But… I knew Nathaniel would come for me. And I was scared. But I made a choice. I decided that I love the people in my life /more/ than I fear him.” She pointed to the corpse of her father, “He can’t hurt anyone now, and neither will anyone else. But… it isn’t just the new people in my life that I love. Some of you fuckers are twisted wackos-“she said, earning a few chuckles, “But I still love you. You’re my family. You’ve suffered and caused suffering, but I believe in second chances. I believe that our family can be a family again, not an army. I am your matriarch. I will take care of us. My one request is that we keep in contact via owls at the very least. I want to know about your lives because I care about you. I want to know that you’re happy and doing better. Honestly after this I’m going to find a decent therapist and I think a lot of you should too.” More chuckles echoed throughout the room. 

“NicoleIwouldliketoaskforyourblessing” Roman spoke up again and Nicole looked to him. He swallowed nervously and said, quieter but more intelligible this time, “Nicole… I would like to ask your blessing. I… I have a girlfriend. And she’s a muggleborn. And she’s black.” Audible gasps echoed in the room, and people instantly started to whisper among themselves. Roman cleared his throat, “I love her, and I want your blessing. I’m going to ask her to marry me.” More shocked whispers. Roman looked nervous and the entire room watched Nicole. 

Despite her talking about love, she had kept a calm, but dangerous face. A warm smile broke out on her face, “Roman, nothing would make me happier than to bless the marriage of you and the woman you love.” More scandalized whispers. Roman looked like he was going to cry tears of joy. Nicole held up a hand, “On one condition.”

Roman’s face fell and he swallowed nervously, “Y-yes?”

She looked at him very seriously for a solid 60 seconds, and a little bit of urine stained Roman’s robes. She grinned, “I’d like an invitation! And I’d be more than happy to help you plan if you need it.” Roman broke out in a smile like she’d never seen.  
“Your name will be the first on the list.” He said as she laughed. 

“And just what are you going to do about the clans trying to reorganize?” Andreas said. He was an interesting case. Since he lost his son, Joseph to her father, it was like Andreas couldn’t decide if he was racist or not. On one hand, he was a prickly racist jerk. On the other hand… those beliefs cost him his son. 

Nicole smiled, “Nothing!”

“Nothing!?” He demanded, “You’re just going to sit back and not help them at all?!”

“That’s right!” She said cheerfully, “I’m getting married soon, so I’m busy planning my life with my future husband and trying to focus on bettering myself for the people I love!”

He gave her a beady eyed look, “Well that’s just ridiculous! I would-“

“You would what?” She asked in a dangerous tone. She narrowed her eyes and gave him a cold, steely stare, “Is that a challenge, Cousin Andreas?”

Andreas went slightly pale, “…no.”

“Good. Now I have some things to take care of. This house is a symbol of the old ways. I’m going to destroy it. You’re welcome to take anything you’d like. I encourage you to take personal legal documents in particular. They’re in Nathaniel’s old study in the middle drawer of his desk. Dismissed.” 

She stayed there a moment as people milled about the house, collecting documents or books from the shelves. She took a smoking box from a nearby bookshelf and dumped the cigars out of it. She placed her father’s heart inside of it.  
Shockingly, she received hugs from more cousins than she thought. Tearful hugs. It made her smile to know that she set her family free. She knew not everyone was happy with this, but they’d just have to deal with it or face her wrath. After people started taking their leave and the house was empty, she picked up the box with the heart in it and went out to the grounds. 

Traditionally, every Knight was buried on these grounds, and the heart of Nathaniel would be the last one. She picked up a shovel and kicked off her pumps. She dug a small grave, adding mud stains to her blood stained dress. She put the box in, buried it, and that was that. 

She went back in the empty manor and found the family’s house elves in the parlor. They kneeled before her. 

“Oh Lady Nicole!” Kooky squeaked, “Kooky is so proud that you are the family head, and Kooky speaks for all when he says we will serve you well! You know Kooky is old and Kooky has always served the house of Knight! You is a full grown woman now, and Kooky is so proud of you!”

She could tell he was frightened. The all were, poor things. She knelt down to his level, “I know you’ve always lived here, Kooky. You and your family have always served mine. And this will be different and scary. But I need you to trust me, okay?” Kooky looked back to the elves behind him and then to her. He nodded. “I’m letting you go.” 

This was met by shocked wailing and cries of despair, “Lady Nicole no!” “Please missus, we can serve!” “Miss please don’t be sending us away!” 

She shushed them and their tears quieted, “This isn’t a punishment,” she said gently, “This is a reward. Every single one of you has been so loyal and kind. You often showed me more kindness than my own father. I haven’t forgotten all the times you kept me fed when I was forbidden to eat.”

“You needed food to grow up, yes you did Lady Nicole!” squeaked Tinky

She smiled, “Yes I did. And I know you don’t want to stop working and you wouldn’t accept money. So I want you to work somewhere you’ll be safe. I’d like you to work at Hogwarts.”  
This caused timid excitement among the elves and she smiled. “I’ll send an owl in the morning to arrange things for all of you.” She dismissed them, and they started to clean up the house. She sighed. She went upstairs to bathe and change and made the necessary arrangements. She knew that leaving would be hard for them. So she arranged little care packages for all five of them. In it, there was food, a personalized letter about each of them for McGonagall to read, a piece of clothing to technically set them free, and she found a trinket of some kind for each of them. She sent them off, and the next phase began. She didn’t want them to see this. 

She bathed and changed. Thankfully, she still had some clothes in her old room. She took the last of the family’s legal documents and made a mental note to send what she could to whoever she could track down.  
She went to her father’s room. The door creaked open slowly. She pushed his bed aside and opened the secret trap door beneath it. She lit her wand and carefully descended the stairs. The secret cellar was pitch back, musty, dank, and smelled like a mix of rotting food and a decaying body. Her stomach sank as she quietly lit the candle at the bottom of the stairs, and the others lit up as well. The site she saw made her stomach turn. 

The small, cramped room was ancient and rusted chains hung from the wall. The blood stains of countless victims stained the walls and the metal confines. In one corner, there was a pile of human feces and urine, surrounded by flies and maggots. In another corner, bits of rotted food was piled up in a neat circle. Upon further inspection, she realized the food was in the shape of a frowny face. Nicole suppressed her urge to vomit. In another corner was the decaying body of a chained up teenage girl. She couldn’t have been dead for long, based on the amount of decay and rats gnawing on her. She couldn’t be more than 16. She could tell the girl was bruised and bloody before dying. And her hips were contorted in an unnatural, forced and twisted fashion. Tears welled up in Nicole’s eyes. She knew about her father’s ‘girls’ from hearing him brag about it, but she didn’t want to believe it. Tears ran down her face as she fought the urge to puke even harder and looked in the last corner. 

In the final corner, there was another teenage girl. 16? 17? She was so dirty Nicole couldn’t tell. She couldn’t even tell if she was alive or dead. Nicole moved closer and raised her wand for a better view. She paled. This girl… this child was pregnant. Heavily pregnant. She rushed over to her and the girl actually turned to look at her. She gasped in shock and cried openly, “It’s okay” she said desperately to her, “It’s okay now. He’s dead. He’s gone, I promise.” She said, her tears becoming more hysterical. “Let me take those chains off. I won’t hurt you.” 

She moved closer. The girl looked at her with hallow, dead eyes. “What’s your name?” Nicole asked as she frantically fiddled with the chains. The girl said nothing. She opened her mouth to reveal decaying teeth and no tongue. Nicole couldn’t tear her eyes away and she cried harder. She stumbled and turned away. She puked. 

It took her a moment to recover. She looked at the girl when she heard a scratching sound. The girl picked up a sharp shard of rock and scratched into the wall: ‘Baby is dead. No kicks.’ 

Nicole looked at her, “are you sure? I… I’ll figure this out. We’ll get it out. I can help you.”

She waited as the girl clumsily scratched into the wall, ‘You cant. You Nicole. He knew you come.’ 

Nicole looked a little confused, “Knew I’d come? Of course he did…” she paled, “he was afraid of losing to me…?” the girl nodded weakly. “What did he do to you?! Please tell me, I can still save you!” 

The girl scratched out another message, weaker and slower this time, ‘Cant. Poison. No feeling. Am so tired.’ Nicole slowly reached out and pressed a finger to her neck. Her pulse was dangerously slow and Nicole cried, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She sobbed, “I should have come down here sooner. I was a coward, I’m so sorry.”

The chains clinked and the girl put a dirty, weak hand on Nicole. She patted her lightly and her hand dropped again. “What can I do?” Nicole practically begged, “Please, there must be something!” 

The girl was shaking slightly now but she scratched out, ‘Stay. Sing to me.’ She looked at Nicole with those dead sunken eyes and something like tears glistened in them. “Okay.” Nicole whispered. “I will.” 

She sat down beside the girl and put an arm around her. The girl leaned her head on Nicole and she seemed to relax slightly. Nicole took a shaky breath and in a soft soprano, she started to sing;

I've heard there was a secret chord  
That David played, and it pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care for music, do you?  
It goes like this  
The fourth, the fifth  
The minor fall, the major lift  
The baffled king composing Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

 

The girl curled up closer to her and Nicole held her firmly. She let out what sounded like a content sigh. Nicole wrapped both arms around her and started to stroke the girl’s hair like her mother once did for her. And she sang; 

Your faith was strong but you needed proof  
You saw her bathing on the roof  
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you  
She tied you to a kitchen chair  
She broke your throne, she cut your hair  
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe I've been here before  
I know this room, I've walked this floor  
I used to live alone before I knew you  
I've seen your flag on the marble arch  
Love is not a victory march  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

She could feel the girl’s breathing getting softer and softer. Her singing became strained as she choked back tears. She kept stroking her hair. The girl closed her eyes, and it seemed like there was a small smile on her face. So Nicole pressed on;  


There was a time you'd let me know What's real and going on below  
But now you never show it to me do you?  
And remember when I moved in you?  
The holy dark was moving too  
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

 

The girl put her hand on Nicole’s hand and she let out another small sigh. Her body felt… looser. Like she was losing control of it. But she seemed happy. So Nicole sang on. 

 

Maybe there’s a God above  
And all I ever learned from love  
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you  
It’s not a cry you can hear at night  
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light  
It’s a cold and its a broken Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

 

Nicole choked out the last Hallelujah as the girl’s head fell limp and her body relaxed. She was no longer breathing. Nicole couldn’t move. She just cried.

She didn’t know how long she had been there when her tears stopped and she came back to reality. a short time after that is a blur. She has a vague memory of digging a grave for each of the girls. When she dug the hole for her father’s heart, it was out of spite. But this time it was out of sadness and a sense of guilt. She dug a deep grave for each of them. She gently levitated the girl who had been dead for sometime into her grave. But for the girl she bonded with… she slipped the chains off her dirty, bloody hands. She scooped her up and gently carried her up the stairs, outside and carefully laid her to rest. Looking at them lying there in their open graves, so broken and hurt, she was suddenly filled with a mixture of hot fire and compassion. With a mighty swing, she pounded her fist on the side of the mansion and snarled, “Reducto.” Several large chunks of rock fell from the side of the building. She carefully smoothed out two of them and covered the girls. 

On each stone she carefully carved, ‘Forgotten but not truly gone’ and carefully placed each one at the head of the grave. She kneeled in between them and quietly stared at the fresh earth. It was so calm and peaceful. The sunrise peeked over the trees and bathed her in light. Birds sang. The wind blew gently. Leaves rustled. Everything seemed so peaceful. And quiet. She started to cry again, and oddly enough… she prayed. 

“Please God,” she whispered, “I don’t know if you’re there, or if you’re even listening… show these girls the love they didn’t get in life. Bring them somewhere they’ll be happy. Bring their families peace. Send my father to hell. And let him rot.” She swallowed hard, “I thought about praying to you before and I didn’t. now here I am, at my lowest point… and I’m begging for mercy” she let out a weak laugh, “I’m sorry I killed my father. But I don’t regret it. If you’re there and you punish me when I die… that’s okay. But please have mercy on me. God have mercy on us all. And god give me the strength to forgive myself.” Her voice cracked, “Amen.” She whispered.

 

She rested her hands on either side of her and let her hands sink slightly into the freshly upturned earth. As she did, flowers burst from under her palm and quickly covered the fresh graves in their sweet smelling beauty. She let out a choked sob of a laugh. “Thank you.” She whispered.


End file.
